Aly is a Writer
by PrincessPenelliotTheBrave
Summary: A story in which Aly was not born with the G7W gene and instead lives out a relatively ordinary life, or so you'd think. This story has multiple chapters and will follow Aly (among other characters) through the years. MATURE LANGUAGE WARNING: READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION!
1. Intro

Aly Black was thirteen years old and she was really passionate about writing. Ever since she read Matilda in grade one she had wanted to be an author. Her parents doubted her at first because she was troublesome at school–she got sent to the principal's about twice a week at best–but Aly worked really hard on her stories even at the age of six.

She would hand cut paper from her notebook and staple it together being very careful not to hurt her fingers, then she would work on the cover.

She named her books things like "Sara's Adventure" and "The Day Things Got Wierd."

Her spelling may not have been perfect and her handwriting needed work, but Aly concentrated very hard on making her little stories.

It was an important part of who she was, and an even more important part of who she would become.


	2. Aly, age 6 - Part One

When Aly had finished her first book, she held it up proudly to her parents for their approval.

Her mother asked her questions about the characters and complimented the wide range of colours Aly had used to decorate the jagged edges of the pages, but her father squinted at the small letters and complained about the writing style.

Aly was a bit upset that her father didn't like her book, but she was excited nonetheless at the prospect of showing off her new creation to her friends the next day at school.


	3. Aly, age 6 - Part Two

When Aly woke up a day later to go to school she almost forgot to grab her story, but her mother reminded her before she left.

Red braids swinging as she walked to the bus, Aly smiled. She was in a positive mood today. Maybe it had something to do with all the praise she hoped to get from her fellow classmates.

On the bus Aly sat next to her friend Opal. Opal had been in the same kindergarten class as Aly and they always shared lunch.

"Hey, Opal." Aly whispered as the bus started moving towards the school. "Look at this book I made!" She said excitedly. Opal would love this book, Aly even named a character after her.

"I'm busy right now Aly." Opal said, turning to face the window. "I don't want to see your stupid book."

Aly felt slighted as the stuffed her book back into her bag.

The rest of the ride to school was silent, but Aly didn't mind. She didn't feel like talking to Opal anyway

When they got to school Aly wanted to show everyone her book immediately, but their teacher made them get to work right away.

Aly's legs swung back and forth under her desk as she watched the hands on the clock slowly turn.

When the bell rang for recess Aly was the first one to the cloakroom to grab her book.

Everyone ran past her on their way out, but Aly ran as fast as she could after them.

When they had all made it to the playground where the third graders had already started a game on the monkey bars, Aly decided to show them her book.

"Hey, guys! Look at the book I made!" She could barely contain her excitement. Was this what it felt like to be an author?

Some of the boys from the other grade one class heard her and came over to check it out. She recognized one, Marco, from kindergarten.

"What's your book about?" Another asked curiously.

"It's about these two girls that are friends and they find a magic rock!" Aly exclaimed. "Here, read it." She passed them the book.

Marco took it and turned to the first page. He started reading it aloud to the other boys. Aly watched in anticipation.

"Hey, Aly?" Someone said behind her. Aly turned and saw Opal kicking the rocks shyly.

"What?" Aly asked.

Opal was quiet for a minute.

"I'm sorry for being mean to you on the bus." She burst out, and gave Aly a hug.

"It's okay Opal." Aly said, hugging back.

Then Aly heard the boys laughing at something, so she let go of Opal to look. What she saw made her heart shatter inside her. They were ripping her book and throwing the pieces in the mud and stepping on them!

Aly screamed in devastation as she watched the last page of the book she had worked so hard to create get torn up and flutter to the ground, landing in the mud at the boys' feet.

"That's my book!" She cried, lashing out at the person nearest to her and nailing him in the cheek with a punch.

She didn't watch as he ran away, instead focusing on the next boy, whom she pushed backward into the mud that destroyed her hard work. It was Marco.

"Why did you do that?" Aly screamed at him as he burst into tears.

"It was an accident!" He blurted, trying to cover his face as Opal threw dirt at him.

"You did it on purpose!" Aly yelled. And then she kicked him.

"Aly Black, get over here NOW!" Her teacher yelled.

The first grade teacher, Ms. Howard, was running towards Aly.

"What is happening here?" Ms. Howard asked in her authoritative voice.

Before Aly had a chance to speak, Marco started sobbing again.

"Aly and Opal were kicking me and my friends!" He said, pointing menacingly at Aly.

"He ripped my–" Aly started.

"Aly, Opal, go to the principal's office. I wouldn't put it past you, Aly, to pull something like this, but Opal, I expected more from you." Ms. Howard said, her disapproving gaze resting on the girls for a moment before she shooed them toward the building.

"But–" Aly tried to protest.

"No buts, I've heard enough."

Behind Ms. Howard, Aly could see Marco sticking his tongue out at them. She felt like screaming, but instead she bit her lip and stormed across the playground.


	4. Aly, age 6 - Part Three

Aly had been siting in the office for almost a whole hour–or at least that's what it felt like. Opal had been glaring at her the whole time, but kept her thoughts to herself.

When the principal finally had time to see them, he motioned Aly into his room, but asked Opal to stay seated. Good. Aly didn't want to see Opal a moment longer.

"So, I hear you got yourself in trouble again." The principal said after they at sat down.

Aly looked down and absently traced a crack on his desk.

"Can you tell me what happened?" He prodded.

Aly looked up, eyes tear-soaked. She felt like her heart was an empty cavity.

"This morning," she started shakily, "I brought a book I made to school with me, but when I showed some boys on the playground–" Aly choked on a sob. "They ripped it up and threw it in the mud!" She burst into tears.

"Don't cry," the principal said in his gruff voice. "These things happen all the time. Boys will be boys after all."

And in that moment Aly could almost believe him. Almost.


	5. Aly, age 10

"I don't want to draw." Opal whined.

"Do you want to go to the park?" Aly asked, irritated.

"Nooooo, I wanna get candy." Opal pouted her lips.

"We can't, my mom said no." Aly repeated for what felt like the millionth time.

"You're lying," Opal drawled. "Your mom lets you do whatever you want."

"No she doesn't." Aly said.

"She let you dye your hair!" Opal said, batting at Aly's pink locks.

"That was a special treat, just for my birthday." Aly said, swatting Opal's hand away. She was starting to lose her patience.

"My mom never lets me do anything." Opal seethed.

"Opal, if you don't want to be here you can just go home." Aly said.

"Home is boooring." Opal whined.

"Well, I don't want you here if all you're going to do is complain. Your mom probably doesn't let you have candy because you're too fat anyway!" Aly yelled.

Opal's mouth popped open in a perfect circle.

Uh oh, Aly thought. She had finally gone too far.

"I–I'm not FAT!" Opal shouted. "Aly Black, I don't want to be your friend anymore!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!" Aly tried to apologize. "I was only kidding."

"Well, it–wasn't–funny." Opal said, standing up. She went over to the door and grabbed her coat.

"I'm sorry," Aly tried again.

Opal turned around angrily.

"No you're not! You're mean."

And with that she walked out the door and slammed it shut behind her, leaving Aly feeling more lonely and empty than she had been for a long time.


	6. Aly, age 13 - Part One

Aly had been subconsciously staring at Opal from the other side of the classroom, but when Opal and her friends suddenly burst into laughter Aly's gaze became focused.

"I can't believe he kissed you!" One of the girls shrieked.

"I know!" Opal giggled.

"Did he taste good?" One of the girls questioned with a sly grin.

"Yeaaaaah." Opal answered.

They all burst into a fit of giggles.

"Hey, Opal, can I borrow your lipgloss?" One of the girls asked.

"Sure Tamika!" Opal said, reaching for her bag.

As the girls started trading makeup secrets and chatting about homework Aly let her gaze fall to her own blank worksheet.

She had always had a keen eye for square roots, but today she didn't feel like working.

Taking the paper and stuffing it into her backpack, Aly stood up and walked towards the front of the room.

She could feel Opal's eyes piercing her back but she kept walking as confident as she could.

"Mr. Francis, I'm not feeling well. Can I go to student services and get a cold-pack for my forehead?" Aly asked her teacher timidly.

Mr. Francis barely glanced up from the test he was marking before waving her along.

As Aly grabbed her bag she heard one of the girls whisper,

"Hey, Opal, isn't that one of your other friends?"

To which Opal replied,

"Not anymore. I stopped hanging out with her three years ago when I found out she was a total dyke."

The group of girls giggled, but by then Aly had already left.


	7. Aly, age 13 - Part Two

Aly's shoes slapped on the pavement as she walked away from the school.

She checked her phone. 2:41pm. She felt bad skipping school, but god, was math class ever stifling! If she had to stay there a moment longer she might have exploded.

Upon reaching her house she dropped her bag and coat in the doorway and went straight to the kitchen.

She grabbed a handful of chocolate bars and a bag of marshmallows from the cupboard—something she would never have done had her parents been home—and situated herself at the computer desk in her bedroom. She could move her bag later, her mom wouldn't be back until five at the earliest, and her dad was in Los Angeles for a mandatory ambassador meeting his boss was hosting.

Aly took a large bite out of the first chocolate bar as she waited for her computer to turn on.

Aly was not a person who would skip school without consequences, she just liked to determine what the consequences would be herself. Her punishment for leaving math today? Working on her latest story.

She came up with the idea about a month ago and had been writing ever since, usually at night when she should have been asleep.

She was basing her story which she had titled "The Winding Road" on a series by her favourite author. The first book was called "Madelyn and the Pond Witch" and it was all about German folklore.

Her favourite characters, James and Neil, had a tight friendship which was what she usually wrote about. Upon rereading the series for the third time However, Aly felt like the author had purposefully added allusions of a romantic relationship between the two characters.

She set her story in a high school to make it simple, and had the plot rotate mainly around teenage drama because it was what she knew best. She tried to keep the characters as true to the story as possible, but she was nowhere near talented enough to pull it off. That was okay though, her online friends would love it!

She opened a document and typed in the title of her new chapter. She had come up with a good idea this morning, but didn't have time to get it on paper before she had to leave for school.

School, Aly thought. The destroyer of dreams, the ruin dweller, the pain of a thousand words written for purely academic purposes. She just couldn't take interest in an essay topic, her ideas had to come from the heart, they couldn't be flimsy fabrications, they couldn't be required. That took all the fun out of writing, leaving her only with grueling work and a waste of time.

Aly stared unseeingly at the monitor, and took another bite out of her chocolate bar, scattering little chocolate slivers across her keyboard. She really detested school. Detested. What a good word.

Aly brushed the crumbs from the keys and started typing.

_Neil detested his school. The homework, the dirty hallways, the cramped lockers, the people…_

After an hour of consistently typing whatever came to mind (with occasional breaks for munching chocolate and chewing marshmallows of course), she finally had almost two pages of finished writing. Amazing. Now to revise and rewrite, her least favourite part.

Aly took a notebook out from under her desk and went through her story, making note of anything that she needed to change or correct.

Spelling error, grammatical mistake, expand on topic, fact check, spelling error, spelling error, fact check, expand, refer to book, grammatical mistake, spelling error, spelling error, spelling error, add detail, sloppy writing, repetition, too many commas, spelling error.

She had a lot of work to do.


	8. Aly, age 13 - Part Three

Suddenly she heard a noise in the living room. Startled, Aly stuffed the last three marshmallows in her mouth and started chewing violently.

The sound of the door opening and someone walking inside made her blood freeze and her heart stop. She glanced at the time—3:17. Her mom should not be home yet, why was she here? Would she see Aly's bag and coat on the floor?

Aly cursed herself silently. She should have cleaned those up when she arrived.

"Aly?" A voice called. Aly furrowed her eyebrows as she swallowed the last of the marshmallows. That wasn't her mom.

"Aly, you're such a fuck-head, move your bag before Conan and Bryson get here. We're going skating later, but you can tell mom that we're volunteering at the library again. Aly?"

Great, her brother was home.

"Move my bag yourself if it bothers you so much, Josh!" she called back at him.

She heard him curse quite audibly in the living room and hoped the neighbours weren't listening.

THUNP.

Great, that would be her backpack. Well, at least he moved it.

Aly went back to typing, ignoring her brother making a racket in the kitchen.

A few minutes later Conan arrived. Aly could tell from the clomping that resonated through the sidewalk as he approached, a signature sound created by his large feet decked out in platform army boots.

"Hey bro!" Conan practically yelled as he invited himself into the house loudly.

"Dude!" Josh yelled back. "What's up?"

"Everything that's not down!" Conan yelled again.

The two snickered at the joke. Aly rolled her eyes in the other room, turning back to her computer. She quickly finished the changes she was making and prepared the chapter to be uploaded.

And… done.

Aly relaxed in her chair. She couldn't wait for the praise she would get tomorrow.


	9. Aly, age 13 - Part Four

Aly woke up ready for the weekend. This was the day where she could finally relax and not worry about school.

Maybe she could beg her mom to take her to the hairdresser's and get her hair dyed again.

No, wait, Saturday was shopping day. Her mom would be scouring Costco, Superstore, and Dollar Giant for hours just to find the best deals.

Aly sighed while rolling out of bed, and walked to her dresser. Should she wear short-shorts? No, too cold. It was almost Halloween, what was she thinking? She decided on her newest pair of stone-washed ripped jeans and coupled it with a bright purple and blue striped t-shirt. She didn't need to be fancy, it wasn't like she was going anywhere, she just needed to look as if she didn't live in a dump.

Aly grabbed some earrings and put them on as she walked to the kitchen. She poured herself cereal and thought about what she would do that day. It was only 9:00, so the library wouldn't be open yet. She could spend her day on the internet like usual, but that would be boring. Well, the least she could do would be to check if anyone reviewed her story. She got up and tossed her bowl in the sink.

Aly put on some music and logged into her computer. Her document was still open, so she saved and closed it carefully. It wouldn't really matter if it got deleted because it was published already, but Aly didn't like taking chances.

The music blared in the background, and it's lyrics nearly soared into the air and jumped around the room. Aly's heart beat with anticipation as she opened her account and clicked on her most recent story. There were five reviews already!

Aly swiveled her chair away from the computer and covered her mouth with her hands. She was smiling so much that she was sure her face would break open, and her stomach felt like it was full of little sun beams jostling for space.

After calming down, Aly turned back to the computer, trying to resume an indifferent face.

She read the reviews.

_you cunt, neil isn't like that! hes not gay!_

Aly backed away from the computer slightly, her mouth agape. Her fingers felt numb as she scrolled the mouse.

_wow fucking bitch why does everything have to be gay now. Neil doesn't like James like that! Their friends! Your so stupid_

_this is so gross just kill urself you dumb whore_

_this is shit, who would even read this shit?! Your such a dumb fucking bitch jump of a cliff cunt!_

_go die you faggot lover, Neil isnt gay!1 he likes Madelyn! not everything has to turn into gay shit you fucker_

Suddenly the music stopped. Aly was sure her heart had fallen to the floor and gotten lost among the unfinished homework pages lying under her desk. Her arms felt heavy as if all the energy in her body had just left her.

Aly got up and went to sit on her bed. Her eyes were cloudy and her head was full of cotton. She leaned back and felt herself falling onto the covers. She could hear the blood beating through her ears and head.

**Ba-boom.**

**Ba-boom.**

**Ba-boom…**

Why wasn't her story good enough?


	10. Aly, age 15 - Part One

Aly and Cass had been friends for almost a year now, and though Aly was grateful for every moment she spent with him, she still felt like she was missing something.

When Opal left, Aly had cried for nights because she had lost her only friend. Their relationship had always been rocky, but as they got older they had drifted apart more and more.

Aly still remembered when they were ten and Opal had stared her straight in the eye and told her she was done. Done with Aly's antics and done with being Aly's friend.

But Aly had moved on. She had a new friend now, someone she could trust would be with her.


	11. Aly, age 15 - Part Two

"Hey, Cass. Do you want to come with me to the swimming pool? We can get ice-cream later."

Aly was balancing her phone between her ear and her shoulder as she dug through the closet trying to find a bathing suit that fit.

_"Uh, Aly?"_ Cass groaned on the other end of the telephone.

"Yeah?" Aly replied.

_"It's nine in the morning."_

"Just because it's summer now doesn't mean you can sleep in all day." Aly chided him.

_"That's exactly what it means."_

Aly rolled her eyes.

"Come to my house in twenty minutes, I need to buy a new bathing suit and I need you to drive me."

_"Aly, I don't have my license yet. I used to live in Ontario, remember? Only Alberta lets you get a learner's permit at fourteen."_

"Fine, make sure you bring your bus card. And don't forget your swim trunks!"

Aly hung up and stuffed her towel in a plastic bag along with her waterproof wallet.

"Mom!" She called down the hall as she closed her bedroom door. "I'm going to the pool with Cass, we'll be back sometime after lunch!"

"That's fine Aly, but make sure to keep your phone on so I can contact you if there's an emergency!" Her mom called back from the study.

"I will!" Aly assured her.

She grabbed the spare keys and shut the door behind her as she left.


	12. Cass, age 15

Cass grumbled internally as he forced himself to get ready. He really didn't want to wake up today, but Aly just had to make plans. He was still recovering from school stress, he didn't need to add social interaction stress to it as well.

He grabbed his swim bag from the closet and went to leave.

"Cassius?" The voice stopped Cass in his tracks.

"What are you doing?" It was Marian, his foster mom.

Cass turned around to face her.

"I was going to go out with one of my friends, she invited me swimming." Cass answered meekly.

Marian raised her eyebrows. "You're going in your pajamas?"

"Uh, yes. I'm going to change when I get there anyway, so it's not a big deal."

"Don't sass me." Marian snapped.

"I wasn't—"

"Which pool are you going to? Robinson's?" She cut him off.

"Probably."

Marian frowned. "You can go, but be back by lunch. My mother-in-law is visiting and I need everyone here."

"Okay," Cass agreed, turning to leave.

"Oh, and have you seen Kelley and Jesse? They were supposed to help me with the food, but they aren't in the house. If you see them while you're at the pool, tell them to get their behinds back here."

"I will," Cass promised, and quickly exited the house.

Aly was waiting by her mailbox when Cass got there.

"Did you bring your stuff?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Your bus pass?" Aly questioned.

"Uh, wait. I think…" Cass searched through his bag. "Damn, I'll have to go back." He said, smacking himself in the face.

"No, it's fine." Aly sighed. "I'll pay for you."

She started walking towards the bus stop and Cass followed.

"Aly, you're already paying for the pool. Come on, my house is only ten minutes away."

"The bus will be here soon, I don't want to miss it. It's already 9:27 which means we'll have about… four and a half hours for me to get a bathing suit and then go to the pool." Aly calculated.

"Oh, Marian needs me back by noon." Cass said apologetically.

Aly thought for a moment. "Okay, we have two and a half hours. That's still lots of time."

They sat down at the bus stop just as their bus pulled around the corner.

"Oh good," Aly said, pulling out her wallet.

The bus was pretty full, but Cass and Aly were the only ones waiting at this stop.

Aly got on and handed her bus pass and fare to the driver, then made her way to the back. Cass followed, aware of the looks he was getting because of his pajamas. She sat down in the seat across from the door and Cass sat next to her.

They talked quietly about TV shows and books, Cass complimented Aly on her hair which was now dyed dark red and orange, Aly wondered aloud about where Kelley and Jesse might be, and then they played Candy Crush on Aly's new phone.

The bus arrived at the mall just before ten o'clock and more than half of the passengers got out, including Aly and Cass.

Aly suggested they buy some Starbucks since they probably wouldn't have time for ice-cream after swimming, and then they headed over to Walmart.

"I can't believe they closed Target." Cass complained.

"I know!" Aly said. "They were only here for what, three years?"

Cass shook his head. "More like two."

"Ugh, I was going to get a job there too. Eventually." Aly sighed.

"You should work for Lush." Cass suggested. "You have the hair for it, and you have a nose ring. That's, like, a requirement there or something."

Aly burst out laughing.

"Maybe I should. My dad _has_ been pushing me to get a summer job."

"Would he approve of you working at Lush?" Cass asked as they entered Walmart.

"No," Aly replied, "but he already disapproves of my music taste, and my clothes, why not do this too? I shouldn't have to revolve my whole life around whether he approves of something or not."

Cass nodded in agreement just as they reached the women's swim suit section. There were a few shoppers already looking through the clothing racks, but all of the changing stalls were empty, except for one. There was a black-haired girl sitting outside it with her head down, doing something on her phone.

Cass took Aly's bag and sat on a chair while she went to grab a few swimsuits.

Just then the door of the occupied stall flew open and another girl walked out in a blue summer dress that matched her eyes.

"Kelley?" Cass exclaimed.

Both girls turned to look at him.

"Cass?" Kelley asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Cass retorted. "Marian told me you and Jesse promised to help her with the food."

Jesse got up and stood next to Kelley. "We will, Kelley just wanted to try on some new clothes."

Cass frowned. "Where did you get money for clothes?"

Kelley opened her mouth, but Jesse interrupted her.

"She been pimpin' bro."

"Jesse!" Kelley interjected, playfully smacking her on the shoulder.

"I got the money from my boyfriend." She explained to Cass.

"You should probably go home before Marian gets mad." Cass advised.

"Yeah right." Kelley rolled her eyes. "I don't care what mom—I mean… whatever. I don't care." Kelley insisted.

"Hey, so I found—wait, who's this?" Aly said, appearing behind Cass with a handful of colourful bathing suits in her arms.

"Uh, my—these are my s-sisters, Kelley and, uh… Jesse." Cass said, embarrassed by his lack of articulation.

"Jesse?" Aly said, frowning. "Oh, you dyed your hair. Again."

"Wait, you know Jesse?" Cass turned to Aly.

"Yeah, she's in my science class." Aly brushed it off. "Shouldn't you be at home?" She asked Cass's foster sisters.

"That's none of your business." Kelley said, crossing her arms.

Aly glared at her.

Uh oh, Cass thought.

"Whatever, do what you want." Aly said, dropping her gaze. "I'm not the boss of your life."

She pushed past Kelley and went into the nearest changing room, locking the door loudly behind her.

"You don't have to be like that to her." Cass whispered. "And she's right, you two are going to be in so much trouble when you get back. Marian will probably take away your phones and ground you, at least for a week."

Jesse looked upset, but Kelley hid her emotions under a guise of contempt.

"I don't care if Marian punishes us, whatever she does will be better than cooking all day for someone who isn't even my real family." Kelley said, accidentally letting out a sob.

She turned around and vanished into another changing room, door slamming behind her.

Jesse looked stricken as she stood facing Cass.

"Ditch her." Cass persuaded in a whisper. "Go back, maybe you'll avoid being punished."

Jesse looked at him as if he was crazy.

"No, Kelley is more important right now. Marian can cook her own food and shove it in her ass, then eat it out with a spork."

Cass recoiled in disgust.

"Why did you have to say that?" He said, closing his eyes and touching his temple. "That gives me a horrible mental image."

Jesse didn't smile.

"I'll see you later, Cass." She said before walking over to a chair by the changing rooms to wait for Kelley.

Cass sighed.

Just then Aly emerged from the room holding the bathing suit of her choice.

"I left the other suits in there." Aly explained as they walked to the checkout. "We don't have enough time left for me to put them back on the shelves."

"That wasn't that long." Cass said, rolling his eyes. "You could have totally put them back."

Aly shrugged. "What's done is done. Now hurry up!"


	13. Marco, age 16

"Babe, which do you like the taste of better: Berry Cherry lipgloss, Citrus Splash balm, or Sweet Sundaes gloss finish lipstick?" Daria asked, taking them out of her purse.

Marco pretended to consider this, but in reality he had no idea what each lipgloss or balm was called. He sat up and stared out at the tide rolling closer to their spot on the beach.

"Which was the one that tasted like cake?" He asked.

Daria scrunched her nose. "You mean Angel Food Blessing?"

"Yeah, whatever." Marco waved his hand vaguely. "Any lipstick but that one. I didn't like it."

"Okay, I'll get more Cinnamon Swirl then. It gives my lips a nice burnt sienna colour." Daria said, retouching her foundation and checking it in her compact mirror.

Marco scowled at her.

"You know, you look better with less makeup on." He said.

"Aww, thanks babe." Daria said without looking up. She grabbed her liquid eyeliner and applied it on her lid, expertly creating a wing. Her green eye shadow glittered in the sunlight, bringing out all the shades of brown in her eyes.

"People will think you're dating someone behind my back if you look like that." Marco said through gritted teeth, staring at Daria through his sunglasses.

"That's not true." Daria said absently.

"But that's what people will think." Marco said, trying not to become frustrated with her.

She put her eyeliner back in her bag and took out her phone.

"What are you doing?" Marco leaned over, trying to get a glimpse of the screen. Daria shielded it from view.

"Texting." She replied casually.

"Texting who?" Marco questioned.

"Luigi."

Marco made a weird face.

"Who the fuck is Luigi?"

Daria looked up at him, turning her phone off.

"He's a guy from band. He asked to borrow my flute a week ago; I'm just asking him when he'll give it back."

"You let him borrow your _flute_?" Marco asked incredulously. "The one you've had your mouth on?"

Daria rolled her eyes. "You're so controlling." She joked, humourlessly. "It's just an instrument. Besides, I washed the mouthpiece."

"Are you even supposed to do that?" Marco frowned. "Doesn't that ruin it?"

Daria shrugged and tapped her nails distractedly on the back of her phone case.

"I dunno. It's not like I'm going to be a musician though, it doesn't really matter." She turned her phone back on and started texting again.

Marco leaned over and tried to kiss her lips.

"Makeup!" Daria warned, swatting him away with her French manicure.

Marco crossed his arms and looked away. The waves were advancing quickly.

"Hey, we should move farther back." He suggested, picking up his towel and shaking the sand off.

Daria gave him a disgusted look.

"That went all over my stuff." She complained, brushing it off.

She picked up her own towel and bag, and made her way farther up the beach. Marco grabbed the umbrella and followed close behind. He sidled up next to Daria and pinched her butt. She let out a surprised squeak and almost dropped her purse.

"Marco, stop!" She chided, turning around to glare at him. Marco pouted, but she didn't notice.

They set their stuff up by a tree and Daria insisted that she needed a tan, so they put their towels on its sunny side.

"You would tan better if you weren't wearing your bikini top." Marco stated.

"This isn't a nudist beach, Marco." Daria said, reapplying her sunscreen. "And I'm underage."

"You're sixteen." Marco said, taking his sandals off and digging his feet into the sand.

"Babe, sixteen _is_ underage." Daria sighed.

"Marco?" A voice said to their left. "What are you doing here?"

Marco looked over and saw Cass Williams and Aly Black staring at him whilst basking in the shade of the tree.

"I own this beach." Marco joked.

Aly snorted but said nothing. Her hair looked like a candy aisle, what with all the colours. She must have put at least fifteen different dyes in there, although Marco had no idea how.

Marco turned away and pretended to ignore them.

"Who's that girl?" Daria asked Marco in a whisper.

"That's Aly; we went to the same elementary school. The guy next to her is Cass, he—"

"I know Cass." Daria cut him off. "He's cool. Did you know that he moved here from Ontario? He was telling me in English last Tuesday."

Marco felt a stab of jealousy in his chest.

"Hey, should I get some ice-cream?" Daria asked. "I brought money with me."

"Sure." Marco replied. "Whatever, do what you want."

Daria got up and made her way to the concession stands by the road.

Marco dug his toes farther into the sand. Then he noticed Daria's phone sitting on her towel. He glanced at Daria's retreating figure, and then at Aly and Cass who appeared to be playing catch with a beach ball. He picked it up and turned it on.

"Luigi…" Marco mumbled as he went through Daria's contacts. "Luigi Espinosa." He said, tapping on a picture of Luigi's face. Daria and Luigi's conversation appeared on the screen.

**Daria: Hey, do you still have my flute?**

**Luigi: ya, not like I lost it lol**

**Daria: When can I have it back? You said you only needed it for 5 days, and it's been a week :/**

**Luigi: sorry, still need it**

**Daria: I want it back.**

**Luigi: geeeez, don't be so needy ;)**

**Daria: What?**

**Luigi: lol**

**Daria: Just give it back by next week.**

**Luigi: k**

Marco frowned. Okay, so Daria wasn't seeing Luigi behind his back. But what about Cass?

He looked back at Cass and Aly who were still playing with their ball.

In a spur of the moment decision, Marco got up and walked over to the other side of the tree.

"Hi hair-fag." Marco mocked as he grabbed the beach ball out of Aly's hands. "Celebrating Pride early?"

She scowled at him, but he noticed her self-consciously brush a lock of hair away from her face.

"Marco, give me my ball back." Cass said, trying to sound threatening.

"Only if you answer a question." Marco said, holding the ball out of Cass's reach.

"Marco, stop." Aly commanded. "This isn't a game."

"No, it isn't." Marco agreed.

Cass sighed in defeat. "What's your question?" He asked.

"What do you think of my girlfriend?"

Cass looked surprised.

"Daria? Uh, I like her makeup." Cass admitted. "And I think she's stupid for dating you."

Marco narrowed his eyes and threw the ball towards the shore. Aly ran after it.

"What, you think you could be a better boyfriend, punk?" Marco snarled.

Cass's eyes got wide. "N-no. Trust me, that's not possible."

Marco leaned closer to Cass's face and glared at him.

Cass blushed slightly and took a step back.

"Stay away from Daria." Marco warned.

"Leave. Now." Aly said through gritted teeth. "Just leave."

She had returned from chasing after the ball and she did not look happy.

"If you keep harassing us, I'll report you to the police." She threatened.

Marco laughed in her face.

"You're such a cunt. I can't believe a dyke like you actually has friends. Or should I say, a friend."

Aly's face got ashen.

"Why're you over here?" A voice asked behind Marco. It was Daria with their ice-creams.

"Just having some fun with the queers." Marco drawled. "Come on, I want to leave. We'll eat the ice-cream in the car." He said, walking towards their stuff. He looked behind his shoulder. Daria hadn't moved.

"Come on Daria, don't be a bitch." Marco moaned.

Daria stared him straight in the eye and threw one of the ice-cream cones face down in the sand.

"That one is yours." She told him, still keeping eye contact. "It's a symbol for our relationship; broken."

Marco's jaw dropped as Daria pushed past him whilst licking her cone. He turned to see her pick up her bag and throw her towel over her shoulder.

"I hope you like walking," she said as she pulled out her car keys. "Because I'm not going to be there to drive you around town next time you need me."

And with that she walked off, leaving Marco standing there in horror with Aly and Cass staring on in awe behind him.


	14. Cass, age 18

A deep emptiness filled Cass's heart as he looked at the item in his hand, a small knife.

His breath caught in the cool morning air as memories flashed through his mind.

Kindergarten, when his aunt had to remind him four times in one day that Dora the Explorer was a show for girls.

Second grade, the first time he heard the word fag.

Halfway through third grade, new foster home, new life, no new friends.

Sixth grade, the trip to outdoor school that ended in him coming home early because a couple of his classmates hit him so hard that he lost three teeth.

Ninth grade, meeting Aly for the first time.

Tenth grade, having a best friends sleepover with Aly. They ate popcorn and candy, painted each other's nails, watched three seasons of Adventure Time and passed out in Aly's living room. Possibly the best memory he had.

Cass had been smiling while he recounted the good times with Aly, but now that smile faded.

He remembered: eleventh grade, when Aly knocked on his door at four in the morning and Cass had opened it to find her crying. Aly had told him about her crush on Opal and how Marco had bullied her since grade one and every other horrible thing that she had gone through. Cass had sat with her until the bus came to take them to school.

And then two months later, the first time Aly tried to kill herself.

Well, now it was Cass's turn.

The knife in his hand glinted as it slashed through the air, burying itself in his chest.

And that was that.


	15. Marco, age 24

"You are quite qualified to get this job Mr. Ramsay, but with your current criminal record we just can't hire you. It would be a blow to our company."

Marco stared at the man in front of him with narrowed eyes.

"Who are you getting to fill the spot then?" He asked, trying to keep any hint of contempt out of his voice. It wouldn't be hard to convince this man that he deserved this job.

His possible employer leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk between them.

"A woman named Opal Mendoza applied to fill this position just last week. Her interview is right after yours. We'll let you know tomorrow if you have the job." He said with an air of finality.

Marco stayed seated.

"What can I do to win the job?" He asked as a last resort.

"The position for this job is not a competition; we will only hire someone who is competent and ready to fill this role."

"I'm competent!" Marco said. "I have letters of recommendation–"

"The letters you gave us were not what we were hoping to see."

Marco narrowed his eyes. He was about to open his mouth again when he was interrupted.

"This interview is over. We'll give you the results as soon as possible." The man was started to sound aggravated now, but Marco didn't care.

"Alright," he said coolly, standing up. "I'll be waiting for your reply."

Without a second glance behind him Marco left the room and made his way down the carpeted hallway of the office.

He mumbled a curse when his bag knocked over a potted plant, but was otherwise silently brooding.

There had to be a way to get that job, he thought while riding the elevator down to the lobby.

When the doors opened to reveal a single figure waiting for the lift, Marco had his answer.

"Opal!" He cried, arms wide as if he was happy to see her. "It's been so long."

Opal, startled by the noise, looked up from her phone.

"Oh, it's you." She said in a disappointed tone. "I should have known, Aly said you were on the job hunt. Too bad you picked the same field as me." She said glumly, trying to push past him to the elevator.

"You still talk to that whore?" Marco sneered.

"Who?" Opal said absently, typing something into her phone.

"Aly Black. She's still your friend?" Marco asked.

Opal rolled her eyes. "Don't be stupid, she stalks me on Facebook you prick. Now move, I'm going to be late for my interview."

Opal tried to push past Marco, but he wouldn't budge.

"Dude, did you even hear me? I have an interview."

Marco wasn't listening. He grabbed Opal's arm and started dragging her towards a door on the other side of the lobby labeled 'Staff Only.'

"Hey! Stop it!" Opal cried, trying to pry his hand off of her arm. "You're cutting off my circulation."

Marco ignored her, instead opening the door and shoving her inside.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her voice high pitched with fear.

"Only what is necessary." Marco replied, stepping in after her and closing the door behind them.

"It's hard to find time for fun." He said, pressing Opal's shivering form against the wall.

The darkness was suffocating, but it wasn't Marco who was having trouble breathing.

In that moment it was unknown to either of them that the next morning's paper would feature the obituary of a young woman, printed next to a warrant of arrest for a man the same age.


	16. Aly, age 56 - Part One

"And the award for Best Children's Book of the Year goes to…" the announcer paused her speech for emphasis before declaring, "Alyssa Black!"

As the crowd cheered and clapped politely Aly felt her mind explode. She had finally done it! After years of people telling her that she could never succeed, she had finally proved them wrong!

Her victory was sweet and as she walked onto the stage to accept her award, she felt the loving gazes of all her fans resting on her form.

This is what it felt like to be an author. She finally knew. Her dreams and hard work had finally made something magical come to life: a community of happiness.

The trophy was a blur in her arms as she shook hands with all the runner ups and the announcer.

"Make a speech." The announcer whispered, handing her the microphone.

Aly took it in her shaking hand and went to stand at the pedestal. She smiled as wide as she could as the cameras turned to face her.

"I want to dedicate this win to every young girl who has stumbled upon my books in their library or book store and decided it couldn't hurt to take a look inside. I want them to know that I, too, was a little girl once and I also loved to read. I was only six when I wrote my first story, and I want all the other girls out there to know that it is never too young to have a dream, no matter what anyone else says. You are all special and some day it could be you standing up here in my place."

When Aly had finished, the crowd cheered so loudly that it was nearly deafening.

Aly left the stage with an ear-to-ear grin. She made her way over to the autograph table where her fans where already lining up excitedly.

This is what being an author feels like, Aly thought. I could never have guessed.


	17. Aly, age 56 - Part Two

Later, after Aly had returned to her apartment, she strolled into her kitchen dressed in her softest pajamas.

It was late, but she felt like having a warm cup of tea after her eventful day.

As the water boiled, Aly sat down at her table. She grabbed a copy of her newly published book, "The Eloquent &amp; Disastrous Tale of Eloisa," and flipped to the dedication page.

There in her own handmade font were the words: 'For my dearest friends, Cass Williams (2001-2018), and Opal Mendoza (2001-2025). The adventure doesn't end here.'

Aly wiped a tear from her eye as she turned to stare out of her window.

The city of Victoria was lovely at night, but it was the endless horizon that gave Aly hope.

There was always somewhere to go.


End file.
